Fourth Supplement to the Year Book.
[Pending certain alterations in the Rules and other matters, the Year-
Book will not be reprinted this year. The four supplements should be
inserted in copies of the Year-Book for 1911-12, so bringing it up to date.—
Ed.]
Report of the Council for the year ended December, 1914.
Meeting's.—During the greater part of the year the meetings planned
were carried out as usual, but after the declaration of the war at the end of
July difficulties arose. A meeting for the inspection of the Colne Estuary
Oyster Fishery under the auspices of the Corporation of Colchester had long
been prepared and fixed for 26th September. But the strict naval war
regulations rendered the meeting impossible ; any meetings on or near the
Essex coast were absolutely barred, and therefore it would be necessary to
organise meetings in other localities nearer or in London. In the notice of
postponement issued to the members, the hope was expressed that so in-
teresting a visit to the fisheries might be held in the future, when national
conditions would allow. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, two very success-
ful gatherings for the collection and study of Cryptogamic plants in the
open were held on 17th October and 5th December, when the kind and skilful
assistance of several well-known botanists was given to the Club. The
ordinary evening meetings were held without intermission during the year.
Thirteen meetings in all took place, and in connection with these the Council
has to acknowledge the aid of Mr. E. M. Holmes, F.L.S., at the meeting at
the Pharmaceutical Society's Museum ou 24th January ; on 6th April, Miss
Willmott, F.L.S., again personally conducted demonstrations in her delightful
gardens at Warley Place, and entertained the company at tea ; on 6th June
at the close of a very interesting excursion in the Fryerning and Black-
more districts the Club was most hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs.
Goulden at Mill Hurst.
The scientific evening meetings at the museum have quite maintained
their quality and many interesting papers and exhibits afforded occasions
for informing discussions.
The Council is glad to acknowledge the support given by many members
in attending and tailing an active part in meetings during these troublous
times. To quote from a circular issued by the Secretaries in the late
summer : "The quiet Nature-Studies to which the Club is devoted may well
be pursued as a relief and solace in this season of strain and anxiety, and
cannot be regarded as in anywise frivolous or unworthy. Hopefully we call
upon our Members and scientific friends not to lose interest in the Club.
They should give us loyal and every friendly aid, so as to tide over the gloom,
in readiness to welcome the brighter and happier time when it comes."
Library.—The Library now contains some 2,500 bound volumes,
of which about 1,500 are Periodical Publications, Transactions of Societies,
etc. In addition there are about 300 incomplete and unbound volumes,
which will be bound up in due time. During the year, 98 volumes of Mono-
graphs on various subjects have been added by purchase.
The West Ham Library Committee has presented 57 volumes of the Mono-
graphs of the Palaeontographical Society, which have all been bound up,
making, with those already in the Library, an absolutely complete set of this
valuable publication.
Mr. Fred. Enock, F.L.S., has presented 755 parts of various pamphlets,
periodicals, etc., mainly relating to Economic Entomology ; Mr. Lister Godlee
sent in volumes I. to IX. of "The Entomologists' Monthly Magazine" ; Major
Hardy four volumes of the valuable "British Entomology" by John Curtis,
with the beautiful plates, and Mr. F. W. Harmer has presented Part I. of his
"Monograph of the Pliocene Mollusca of Great Britain."
During the year, 1,030 volumes of periodicals have been bound, and
added to the 400 bound volumes of these publications already on the shelves.
These represent the Transactions, Reports, etc., of 71 different societies and
institutions, in addition to 34 different periodical publications. In working
through these, many gaps have been detected and a preliminary list of the